Lenovo promises 'leaner' marketing

A spokeswoman at Lenovo Singapore said that although its marketing department will not be severely affected by the downsizing, it would be operating “more leanly”.

“It’s a tough environment right now and every business unit will be affected, whether it’s marketing or finance,” she said. “Our objectives don’t change. The focus is still on providing the market with the best products available.”

Lenovo is cutting approximately 2,500 jobs in an effort to cut spending by US$300 million before its fiscal year ending in March 2010.

The company will further reorganise its regional operations, merging its businesses in Asia-Pacific, China and Russia. According to the spokeswoman, the division will be led by president of Lenovo Greater China and senior vice-president of Lenovo Group Chen Shaopeng.

David Miller, president of Asia-Pacific and senior vice-president of Lenovo Group, will remain with Lenovo until the transition is complete, she added.

A spokeswoman from Lenovo in Hong Kong could not comment as to how many jobs will be reduced in Asia- Pacific, but she said all affected workers worldwide would be notified of the reductions by the fiscal year’s end on 30 March.

According to Lenovo’s website, the company has offices in 16 markets across Asia-Pacific.

The decision comes after Lenovo projected third-quarter losses following a declining demand for personal computers in light of the global economic slump.

This would be the first quarterly loss since March 2006 for the world’s fourth-largest computer maker.